Helsinki: Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin vowed on Wednesday to fight any “blackmail” by Europe’s most powerful football clubs over the Champions League.
Ceferin took a tough line against Europe’s top leagues, angry at having been excluded, in their opinion, from talks on the future of the world’s biggest club tournament. The president firmly ruled out a mooted ‘Super League’ solely involving elite clubs.
“To some clubs, I shall say it calmly and dispassionately, but firmly and resolutely: there will be no closed league,” Ceferin told a Uefa congress in Helsinki.
“Quite simply, that is not in line with our values and ideals.
“To some leagues, I shall say it calmly and dispassionately, but firmly and resolutely: we will never give in to the blackmail of those who think they can manipulate small leagues or impose their will on the associations because they think they are all-powerful on account of the astronomical revenues they generate.
“Quite simply, money does not rule and the football pyramid must be and will be respected,” said the Slovenian, who has been president for less than a year.
“We will work together for the good of domestic football, to find practical solutions to your problems and to rectify the imbalances as much as possible — problems and imbalances for which you are also partly responsible.”
The European Clubs Association announced last week that it had agreed changes to European competitions with Uefa and ended calls for a Super League reserved for the wealthiest clubs.
But a deal between the European Professional Football Leagues and Uefa A to avoid clashes between Champions League or Europa League matches and domestic league fixtures ended on March 15. In theory, the 25 EPFL championships can now organise games at the same time as Uefa competitions.
The EPFL is to hold a special congress in Geneva on June 6 to discuss the tensions with Uefa.
Ceferin also said Uefa was considering action on sexual abuse in youth football after numerous accusations in Britain over recent months.
“We cannot shut our eyes,” Ceferin said. “The solutions we are exploring include a charter, the establishment of records, training and education for players and coaches, legal aid for victims and lobbying the European institutions regarding statutes of limitation.”
Fifa President Gianni Infantino attended the congress and said Ceferin’s election last year had ended years of feuding between the governing bodies.
“This stupid rivalry between Uefa and Fifa does not exist anymore and does not have to exist,” Infantino said before hugging Ceferin.
Relations between Fifa and Uefa became strained in recent years under the leadership of Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini. Both have since been banned from the game for corruption.
— Agencies
